Bridgewater State Bears football

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Bridgewater State Bears football
First season1894
Athletic directorMarybeth Lamb
Head coach Joe Verria
8th season, 44–29 (.603)
Stadium Swenson Field
(capacity: 1,600)
Field surface FieldTurf
Location Bridgewater, Massachusetts
NCAA division Division III
Conference MASCAC
Past conferences NEFC
All-time record335–238–7 (.584)
Bowl record4–5 (.444)
Playoff appearances4 (1999, 2000, 2012, 2016)
Playoff record0–4 (.000)
Conference titles7
Rivalries Massachusetts Maritime (Cranberry Bowl) [1]
ColorsCrimson, white, and black [2]
     
MascotBRISTACO the Bear
Website bsubears.com

The Bridgewater State Bears football team represents Bridgewater State University in college football at the NCAA Division III level. The Bears are members of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), fielding its team in the MASCAC since 2013. The Bears play their home games at Swenson Field in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. [3]

Contents

Their head coach is Joe Verria, who took over the position for the 2016 season. [4]

History

Known as Bridgewater Normal, the team played throughout the 1890s and 1920s before being disbanded in 1925. [5] In 1959, athletic director and basketball coach Ed Sweeney announced that football would return as a varsity sport after students voluntarily taxed themselves seven dollars per year to fund the restart of the team. [6]

The team began play in 1960 with a four game schedule.

Conference affiliations


Championships

Conference championships

Bridgewater State claims 7 conference titles, the most recent of which came in 2023.

YearConferenceOverall RecordConference RecordCoach
1989 New England Football Conference 9–16–0 Peter Mazzaferro
19929–1–18–0
1997†7–37–1
199910–16–0
20008–35–1
2016 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference 8–38–0 Joe Verria
2023†7–37–1

† Co-champions

Division championships

Bridgewater State claims 7 division titles, the most recent of which came in 2008.

YearDivisionCoachOverall RecordConference RecordOpponentCG result
1989 NEFC South Peter Mazzaferro 9–16–0 Maine Maritime W 14–10
19908–26–0 Plymouth State L 7–26
19918–26–0 UMass Lowell L 7–10
1998† NEFC Red 7–35–1N/A lost tiebreaker to Maine Maritime
199910–16–0No championship game held
2000† NEFC Bogan 8–35–1 Salve Regina W 27–24
2008† Chuck Denune 7–36–1N/A lost tiebreaker to Maine Maritime

† Co-champions

Postseason games

NCAA Division III playoff games

Bridgewater State has appeared in the Division III playoffs four times, with an overall record of 0–4.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1999 First Round Ursinus L, 38–43
2000 First Round Hobart L, 0–25
2012 First Round Widener L, 14–44
2016 First Round Alfred L, 27–33

Bowl games

Bridgewater State has participated in nine bowl games, and has a record of 4–5.

SeasonCoachBowlOpponentResult
1989 Peter Mazzaferro ECAC Bowl Alfred L 27–30
1992 ECAC Bowl RPI L 25–28
2005 Chuck Denune ECAC Bowl Fitchburg State W 34–17
2006 ECAC Bowl Coast Guard W 41–22
2007 ECAC Bowl Plymouth State L 21–24
2011 ECAC Bowl Alfred L 10–41
2015 ECAC Bowl Carnegie Mellon L 13–48
2018 Joe Verria New England Bowl Salve Regina W 34–19
2022 New England Bowl Catholic W 34–24

List of head coaches

Key

Key to symbols in coaches list
GeneralOverallConferencePostseason [A 1]
No.Order of coaches [A 2] GCGames coachedCWConference winsPWPostseason wins
DCDivision championshipsOWOverall winsCLConference lossesPLPostseason losses
CCConference championshipsOLOverall lossesCTConference tiesPTPostseason ties
NCNational championshipsOTOverall ties [A 3] C%Conference winning percentage
†Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame O%Overall winning percentage [A 4]

Coaches

List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards
No.NameSeason(s)GCOWOLOTO%CWCLCTC%PWPLPTDCCCNCAwards
1 Ed Swenson [12] [13] 1960–196747143300.298
2 Peter Mazzaferro [14] [15] 1968–1986, 1988–200433919513770.5861488200.643040650
3 Jim Crowley 198794500.4443200.600000000
4 Chuck Denune [16] [17] 2005–2015112753700.670552400.696240100
5 Joe Verria [18] 2016–present63372600.587482400.66722010

Year-by-year results

National championsConference championsDivision championsBowl game berthPlayoff berth
SeasonYearHead
Coach		AssociationDivisionConferenceRecordPostseasonFinal ranking
OverallConference
WinLossTieFinishWinLossTie
Bridgewater State Bears [19]
1960 1960 Ed Swenson NAIA — NAIA Independent 130——————
1961 1961 320——————
1962 1962 130——————
1963 1963 250——————
1964 1964 070——————
1965 1965 NCAA College Division NEFC 060——————
1966 1966 340——————
1967 1967 430——————
1968 1968 Peter Mazzaferro 530——————
1969 1969 341——————
1970 1970 080——————
1971 1971 360——————
1972 1972 4505th220——
1973 1973 Division III 550T–3rd220——
1974 1974 640T–5th430——
1975 1975 730T–4th530——
1976 1976 630T–2nd530——
1977 1977 630T–2nd530—
1978 1978 3607th350——
1979 1979 3518th351——
1980 1980 531T–4th531——
1981 1981 360T–7th360——
1982 1982 5314th531——
1983 1983 450T–5th450——
1984 1984 270T–7th270——
1985 1985 5403rd540——
1986 1986 6124th612——
1987 1987 Jim Crowley 450T–2nd (South)320——
1988 1988 Peter Mazzaferro 540T–4th (South)330——
1989 1989 9101st (South)600L ECAC North Bowl—
1990 1990 8201st (South)600Division champions—
1991 1991 8201st (South)600Division champions—
1992 1992 9111st800L ECAC Northeast Bowl—
1993 1993 550T–3rd530——
1994 1994 640T–3rd620——
1995 1995 640T–2nd620——
1996 1996 550T–5th440——
1997 1997 730T–1st710Conference Champions—
1998 1998 7301st (Red)710Conference Champions—
1999 1999 10101st (Red)600L NCAA Division III First Round —
2000 2000 830T–1st (Bogan)510L NCAA Division III First Round —
2001 2001 5403rd (Bogan)330——
2002 2002 4504th (Bogan)330——
2003 2003 6303rd (Bogan)420——
2004 2004 630T–2nd (Bogan)420——
2005 2005 Chuck Denune 9102nd (Bogan)510W ECAC Northeast Bowl—
2006 2006 8202nd (Bogan)610W ECAC North Atlantic Bowl—
2007 2007 6402nd (Bogan)520L ECAC North Atlantic Bowl—
2008 2008 730T–1st (Bogan)610Division champions—
2009 2009 730T–2nd (Bogan)520——
2010 2010 550T–5th (Bogan)340——
2011 2011 730T–2nd (Bogan)520L ECAC Northeast Bowl—
2012 2012 9202nd (Bogan)610L NCAA Division III First Round —
2013 2013 MASCAC 640T–3rd530——
2014 2014 460T–6th350——
2015 2015 740T–2nd620L ECAC Legacy Bowl—
2016 2016 Joe Verria 8301st800L NCAA Division III First Round —
2017 2017 280T–7th260——
2018 2018 830T–2nd620W New England Bowl —
2019 2019 640T–2nd620——
Season canceled due to Covid-19
2021 2021 Joe Verria NCAA Division III MASCAC 640T–2nd620——
2022 2022 740T–2nd620W New England Bowl —
2023 2023 ——

Notable former players

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played. [9]
  2. ↑ A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
  3. ↑ Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since. [10]
  4. ↑ When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ Historic Cranberry Bowl Enters 41st Edition, November 14, 2019
  2. ↑ "Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (1971-1972 through present)" . Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  3. ↑ Hanley, Jim. "BSU: THE CRANBERRY BOWL – My Backyard News" . Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ Fenton, Jim. "Joe Verria chased NFL dream after playing at Bridgewater State". Enterprise News. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Bridgewater Normal 8, Boston Latin 4". The Boston Globe. October 7, 1894. p. 6. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  6. ↑ Rosa, Francis (December 24, 1959). "Bridgewater Tchrs. To Have Grid Team". The Boston Globe. p. 13. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  7. ↑ NEFC Timeline
  8. ↑ Falcons Drop MASCAC Clash To Bears, October 1, 2022
  9. ↑ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  10. ↑ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  11. ↑ Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Obituary for Edward C SWENSON". The Boston Globe. January 3, 2002. p. 29. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Clipped From The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. January 20, 2002. p. 256. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  14. ↑ Fenton, Jim. "COLLEGES: Bridgewater State's Pete Mazzaferro had a Hall of Fame career". Enterprise News. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  15. ↑ "American Football Monthly - Attacking Defenses With The Veer". www.americanfootballmonthly.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  16. ↑ Staff Reporter. "Bridgewater State football coach charged with domestic assault". Wicked Local. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Bridgewater State football coach charged with domestic assault". www.boston.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ Fenton, Jim. "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: New role for Joe Verria at Bridgewater State". Enterprise News. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Football Year-by-Year Records Since 1960". bsubears.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Dijak finds success at Bridgewater State". Sentinel and Enterprise. November 3, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  21. ↑ MMA Inducts Class of 2008
  22. ↑ Paul Melicharek Garners Pair of Postseason Football Honors, December 5, 2012
  23. ↑ "Bridgewater St". Bridgewater St. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  24. ↑ Joe Verria to Remain Bridgewater State Football Coach, November 10, 2016
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